BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — It’s that night again, when all the players come, from far and wide, rocking their best suits and shoes, ready for a busy night. Which is no understatement: Tonight could be one of the wildest draft nights in recent memory. As I sit here a few feet from the stage, about half an hour before the picks start coming in, there’s still no real consensus on who will be the first overall pick. Jabari Parker out of Duke? Andrew Wiggins from Kansas? Where will Dante Exum and Joel Embiid get selected? And once some of these names are picked, how does it affect everyone else in the draft? And we haven’t even mentioned the (very real) possibility of trades, with teams picking up picks or moving up and down the draft.

A Tradition Unlike Any Other

7:19 PM

We still have a few minutes before e get started, but the crowd here in Barclays is rowdy and ready to go. Already had one rather loud “LET’S GO SIXERS!” chant break out — apparently a lot of Philly fans made the short trip up for the draft. Let’s see how they feel about whomever the Sixers end up taking third overall. Loudest boos so far were for a fan shown on the scoreboard wearing a Miami Heat jersey.

Also, looks like fans in Orlando have turned out in force for their viewing party…

1. Andrew Wiggins — Cleveland Cavaliers

Twitter doesn’t lie. With the first pick, Cleveland takes Wiggins. Not much of a surprise, and leaves Parker for Milwaukee. Wiggins should be able to help immediately with defense and athleticism. (To read about how exactly the Cavs got the first pick, their third in four years, go here.) Shoutout to Canada, producing consecutive number one picks…

Never mind the fact that New York isn't producing lottery picks anymore. Canada now is more of a hotbed with consecutive No. 1 picks. SMH

3. Joel Embiid — Philadelphia 76ers

Huge cheer from the crowd here as this pick is announced. If it wasn’t for the injured foot, Embiid probably would have gone first overall. He may miss some time but could team with Nerlens Noel to form a nasty interior duo.

Although apparently his reaction upon learning he was drafted was a bit muted…

4. Aaron Gordon — Orlando Magic

The swingman out of Arizona goes a few pics higher than most predicted — I saw him going in the 6/7/8 range in most of the mock drafts I caught. But the one thing Aaron Gordon definitely has a lot of? Upside!

Love, love, love the Aaron Gordon pick at 4 for Orlando. Incredible potential, and youngest player likely to be picked tonight.
#NBADraft

5. Utah Jazz — Dante Exum

Interesting pick. I guess you team him with Trey Burke and have sort of a combo-backcourt, with two guard who can shoot or handle the ball. With the two of them matched with new coach Quin Snyder, the future in Utah should be bright…

10. Philadelphia 76ers — Elfrid Payton

This is Philly’s second pick in the top 10 tonight, the first player who will start the season available. Not sure how much/where he plays considering Philly has Michael Carter-Williams, the rookie of the year. Or maybe that doesn’t matter?

If Payton can fit that cap over that hairdo, he can fit in the backcourt with Michael Carter-Williams

After this pick, Adam Silver introduces Isaiah Austin, the college player who was forced to retire this week due to medical issues. He gets a standing ovation from everyone in the building, and Silver announces his name and lets him have his draft moment on the stage, as Austin wipes away tears. Fantastic moment.

25. Houston Rockets — Clint Capela

Capela is Swiss, and he plays in France now. That’s all I’ve got for you.

26. Miami Heat — PJ Hairston

This is the pick they swapped for Napier, so this pick will eventually go to Charlotte. Hairston came from UNC originally and then went to the D-League, and now returns to Carolina to play for the Hornets. He can fill it up.

PJ Hairston first NBA D-League player to be taken in first round of NBA Draft per ESPN.

27. Phoenix Suns — Bogdan Bogdanovic

The Serbian shooting guard was sitting in the stands here in Barclays and when his name was called, everyone sitting around him exploded with cheers. I think we need more potential draftees in the stands.

Bogdan Bogdanovic absolutely destroyed the Serbian league finals. Had some monster games. Could be a nice draft and stash pick for Phoenix.

ROUND TWO

Deputy commissioner Mark Tatum takes over for commissioner Adam Silver. And as the picks pick up speed here, we’ll consolidate picks a bit…

31. Milwaukee Bucks — Damien Inglis

32. Philadelphia 76ers — K.J. McDaniels

McDaniels is in the crowd and he gets a hat…but since Silver is done, McDaniels gets a photo with Tatum. Either way, a nice moment for McDaniels, who happened to be sitting in front of a bunch of Sixers fans.

McDaniels called a "specialist" as he's praised for being only NCAA player to lead his team in PPG, RPG, BLK, ASST & STL. The NBA is funny.

39. Philadelphia 76ers — Jerami Grant

40. Minnesota Timberwolves — Glenn Robinson III

As the night winds down, in-arena host Rick Kamla just asked for one last boo from the Brooklyn crowd…and they gave it to him.

41. Denver Nuggets — Nikola Jokic

42. Houston Rockets — Nick Johnson

43. Atlanta Hawks — Walter Tavares

Another guy in the stands…heard he was was seen having dinner in a Times Square restaurant in NYC last night.

44. Brooklyn Nets — Markel Brown

45. Charlotte Hornets — Dwight Powell

The in-arena music has shifted to stadium favorites in an attempt to keep the dwindling crowd fired up. We just got “Shout!” and before that a few Motown numbers. Hey, it’s 11:32 PM, and we’re all a bit bleary-eyed.

46. Washington Wizards — Jordan Clarkson

Should also probably mention that the board behind the commissioner this year has moved into the 21st century — gone is the old board where the nameplates were swapped out, and now we have a digital screen where images and names can be easily projected or changed. Although it woud have been fun to see them scramble to come up with a CABOCLO nameplate.

47. Philadelphia 76ers — Russ Smith

48. Milwaukee Bucks — Lamar Patterson

49. Chicago Bulls — Cameron Bairstow

50. Phoenix Suns — Alec Brown

A bunch of Knicks fans just led a “PAT-RICK-EW-ING” chant. And then a “C-J-FAIR” chant. That was fun. And then the Knicks selected…

51. New York Knicks — Thanasis Antetokounmpo

And Thanasis, brother of Milwaukee’s Giannis, came out of the crowd, to the delight of the fans still here.

Zen Master's first draft as team president: Got himself a Cleanthony and an Antetokounmpo. Both athletic wing players who can finish

52. Philadelphia 76ers — Vasilije Micic

53. Minnesota Timberwolves — Allesandro Gentile

54. Philadelphia 76ers — Nemanja Dangubic

If it feels like the Sixers have had like a dozen picks in the second round, it’s because they have. Well, not quite, but they have been stockpiling second round picks for a while, and this is their fifth selection in this round tonight. they won’t keep all of these players or picks, but they’ve obviously decided as an organization that there’s value in these second round selections.

And Utah kills the potential of a big basketball revival in Australia. No-one down here has cared about the Jazz since Stockton/Malone era and drafting Exum won’t change that. Not even LeBron playing for the Jazz could get us interested in that team again.

Why should Kobe Bryant have any influence on who the LA LAKERS pick in the draft? Is it going to be just like one of the previous snafus where he complained that he was not consulted as part of selecting a head coach? He should be treated like an employee like every other player in the league.

Why are the Hornets(Bobcats) helping the Heat get them what they want? Being a punching bag in the 1st round to tune up the Heat wasn’t enough now their helping them retain their big3 by giving them Napier.. Man, the Bobcats are idiots.